International gaming tournament won't let women compete

Apparently, the Assembly Summer 2014 Hearthstone International e-Sports Federation Qualifier in Finland is officially a sausage party. "The participation is open only to Finnish male players," read an announcement cross-posted to Reddit this week.

That is, to state the obvious, a strange requirement for a Hearthstone tournament; and it makes the qualifier's organisers seem like childish boys in a treehouse, hanging a "no girls allowed" sign on their front door. Only, the qualifier is for for the IeSF World Championship, and it's this global event that has stipulated the all-male line-up.

"Your information is indeed correct, the tournament is open to Finnish male players only," said Markus "Olodyn" Koskivirta, head admin of the Assembly Summer 2014 Hearthstone IeSF Qualifier, in a statement to PC Gamer. "In accordance with the International e-Sports Federation's (IeSF) tournament regulations, since the main tournament event is open to male players only. This is to avoid possible conflicts (e.g. a female player eliminating a male player during RO8) among other things."